Contractors have been racing to repair the storm-devastated stretch of State Highway 2, the main route linking Napier and Wairoa.
Hit hard by landslips and flood debris, Waka Kotahi says nearly a hundred sites suffered damage.
A blessing by Wairoa and Hawke’s Bay iwi officially opened the bailey bridge on Saturday.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and other officials emotionally addressed the struggles of being disconnected.
“This is a day we have waited for,” Hazlehurst said.
The new bridge runs alongside the old one, with the slash that helped destroy it is still visible.
Wairoa deputy mayor Denise Eaglesome-Karekare challenged Waka Kotahi and the forestry industry to keep Wairoa connected.
“We look forward to a new route that will stay open and be resilient for the future. That's our challenge to you. Don't let this happen to us again. Forestry - you need to manage your slash better.
"Because I look over at that bridge, and I see logs and logs. Water doesn't collapse bridges, debris does.”
“This road is more than tarsal and a road for Wairoa and the community and the communities leading up to this bailey bridge. It's a lifeline, to the services we need to access in health but also to our whānau.”
Waka Kotahi regional manager Jaclyn Hankin accepted the challenge.
“Personally, challenge accepted because it's not fair that a community is severed for three months, we are looking at the resilience of the State Highway network across the whole East Coast and State Highway 2 is definitely one of the highest priorities on that piece of work.”
The 42-metre-long Bailey bridge can handle up to 50 tonnes allowing vital fuel and stock trucks to make the crossing.
Welcome news to local Wairoa farmers, many desperate to move stock in and out of town.
Fifth-generation sheep and beef Andrew Powdrell said it was a welcome site for all.
“It will help everyone’s spirits lift, it’s going to help all the community businesses not just farmers," he said.
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